Lehigh Valley movie theaters ditch film

The Grand Theater in East Greenville holds a "Farwell to Film"… (MICHAEL KUBEL, THE MORNING…)

April 21, 2012|Retail Watch | Scanning the Storefronts

The Grand Theater in East Greenville hosted a "Farewell to Film" ceremony last Sunday with a double-feature movie followed by live theatrics: Co-owner Ed Buchinski, clad in an all-black suit, walked the film reels from the theater and into the back of a waiting hearse.

Buchinski staged the morbid scene to illustrate the death of 35 millimeter film — a format that has been a staple of the Montgomery County theater and countless other community theaters around the country.

The format is becoming extinct as some Hollywood studios plan to go to a digital-only format as early as next year. The shift has forced some community movie theaters to undergo one of the largest technological changes since the introduction of talking pictures in the late 1920s.

Digital production heightens film quality and saves Hollywood studios a lot money, but many small theater owners are lamenting the change.

"I may save like 30 minutes a week in labor" with preparing the film for production, but theater-goers may not notice the change, Buchinski said.

The Grand Theater closed a few days last week to install its digital projector. The upgrade, which cost roughly $80,000, is the costliest undertaking at the theater since Buchinski and co-owner John Schortz shelled out hundreds of thousands of dollars to buy and restore the then-closed theater in 2005.

"It's described as convert or die," Buchinski said.

The digital projector upgrade can cost $70,000 to $80,000 per screen — a price tag that is perhaps no biggie for the mega chains such as AMC, Rave and Regal. But, industry experts have said hundreds of community theaters could shutter as a result.

It is not immediately known if any Lehigh Valley theaters will be forced to close. Several local theater owners did not respond to attempts for comment. The region is home to more than a half-dozen single-screen community theaters and a few drive-ins, most of which are mom-and-pop operations.

Buchinski vowed to not raise ticket prices as a result of the conversion, a move echoed by others such as Emmaus Theatre, which did its conversion months ago.

Community theaters are a draw in part for their history and reasonable prices compared with the big chains.

The Roxy Theatre in Northampton is scheduled for its conversion later this year, owner Richard Wolfe said.

Wolfe has said film-format movies will not cease entirely at the single-screen cinema.

Wolfe, a movie buff with a large collection of films, promises to switch to film on occasions.

"They're only taking out one [projector], and there will be one [film projector] here if we want to use to use it … we still can show cartoons from the '40s and '50s," Wolfe said.

More on upgrades:

Renovations at the Wegmans supermarket in Allentown could leave some in tears.

That's because the supermarket recently removed its Wkids fun center, a place where parents left their kids to play while they shopped.

Wegmans spokeswoman Jo Natale said the store's Wkids space will be reconfigured for a different use.

Natale said the chain's Wkids option is not available at all locations, especially newer and renovated stores.

"It's a service that parents certainly appreciated, but in the end, is used by a limited number of shoppers," Natale said.

Locally, the service is available at the chain's Hanover Township, Northampton County, store. The Wegmans in Lower Nazareth Township does not have a Wkids, according to its website.

The Tilghman Street supermarket is in the midst of an 18-month renovation that will expand services and add a 15,000-square-foot addition, including a full-service pub.

There will be more space for cash registers and restrooms, wider aisles, more parking and expanded meat, seafood, dairy and floral departments, Natale has said.

A pub will be added later, offering grublike hamburgers, steak sandwiches, onion rings, and of course, brews and libations. It will be patterned after the Wegmans' pubs in Collegeville, Montgomery County, and Malvern, Chester County.

Speaking of renovations, an upgrade was recently concluded at Candlelight Reception & Conference Center, which is attached to blue grillhouse in Bethlehem Township.

The center, used for weddings and conferences, has changed its name to Event Center at blue and upgraded its wood floors, brick facade on interior walls and a Venetian glaze wall treatment, owner George Paxos said.

Chandeliers also have been refurbished, audio and video enhanced and new lighting systems installed.

This marks the second completed construction project at blue. The restaurant was renovated last year with new tables, booths, carpeting and hardwood floors.

Perhaps some local Dallas Cowboys fans have heard of the wing chain Wingstop.

After all, the chain is based in Richardson, Texas – less than 15 miles from Dallas — and former Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman is its spokesman.

The chain will be known in the Valley soon, even among rival New York Giants fans.